1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data management. More specifically, exemplary embodiments provide a method, computer useable program code and a system for managing internet protocol ranges.
2. Description of the Related Art
An internet protocol (IP) range consists of an upper bound and lower bound internet protocol address. An internet protocol version four (IPv4) address, henceforth referred to as an internet protocol address, consists of four parts of eight bits each, typically separated with a period (“.”). Each part of eight bits is called an octet. An example of an internet protocol address is 192.168.0.1. The internet protocol address space included in those respective bounds will be henceforth called an internet protocol range. An internet protocol range comprises a plurality of internet protocol addresses. For example, 10.0.0.1-10.0.5.254 expresses an internet protocol range.
Currently, no graphical viewers exist to help systems management administrators visualize the internet protocol ranges that the systems management administrators are responsible for managing. Editing lists of internet protocol ranges is performed through an interface that presents the internet protocol ranges in a numeric-based, tabular-format only. This format does not help the administrator easily notice gaps or overlaps in the range definitions.
Systems management administrators manage lists of known internet protocol ranges in order to specify characteristics pertinent to each internet protocol range and to associate each internet protocol range with a larger region. Typically, internet protocol ranges are entirely managed in a tabular structure; each row specifies an internet protocol range, with buttons allowing row operations of add/edit/delete. This method is not user friendly and is programmer-centric, as sometimes internet protocol range definitions spill over several pages.